Coin counting mechanism



Jan. 29, 1963 F. J. CARMAN ETAL com comma MECHANISM Filed Feb. 9', 19602 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS F J. CAR MAN K. W. WHALAN ATTOR Jan. 29, 1963F. J. CARMAN- ETAL 3,075,6 9

COIN COUNTING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOPSF'J CARMA FIG 3 KW. WHALAN (Q an a JQ\7% ATTORNEY United States PatentOfifice 3,ll75,h%

Fatented Jan. 29, 1 963 3,975,699 cont CGUNTING MEKIHANESM Francis JamesCarman and Kevin Wallace Whalan, Canowindra, New South Wales, Aush'alia,assignors to Francis .l ames Carmen, ilanowiudra, New South Wales,Australia and George Thomas Peacock, llanildra, New Sleuth Wales,Australia Filed Feb. 9, 1950, Ser. No. 7,661 Claims. (Cl. 23liltl)mechanism as profit for the proprietor of the machine.

Up to the present time, there has been no mechanical means on any pokermachine to count the total coins inserted inthe machine and of thepercentage of these coins which pass to the proprietor of the machine asprofit. The present invention overcomes this problem by pro vidingmechanical means which will record the total of each group of coins.Thus, the present invention has the dual advantages of providing bothtotals so that any authorized person or persons can check these totalsat 9 any time and secondly, if the method of taxing such machines ischanged from a flat rate, to a rated fee based upon the amount of moneypassed through the machine, this amount can be determined at any time.

in poker machines to which the invention is applied there is a coinmagazine which is filled by the proprietor of the machine, before aplaying period commences, with a predetermined number of coins. Forexample, in a two-shilling machine, the coin magazine may be adapted tohold 160 fiorins and these are placed in the magazine by the proprietoras stated. There is a transfer mechanism operatively associated with theplaying handle of the machine, which is adapted to transfer the top coinfrom the coin magazine when the said coin magazine contains one coin inexcess of the 100 basic coins, and this transferred coin representsprofit for the proprietor of the machine.

According to this invention a machine of the type referred to hasaggregate coin counting means connected through a linkage to theoperating handle of the machine and adapted to be actuated thereby forcounting and recording every coin inserted in the coin slot of themachine. rofit coin counting means have control means to operativelyconnect such means to the operating handle through the means whichactuate the aggregate coin counting and receiving means. The controlmeans are adapted to be actuated by coins moved by the machines profitcoin transfer mechanism to be deposited in a profit receptacle.

One embodiment of the invention is described with reference to theannexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the counting and recording mechanismmounted in a machine of the type referred to.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation.

As illustrated, coin receiving chute 1 has its inlet located to receivethe overflow of coins from a coin magazine 2 by the operation of aconventional profit coin transfer mechanism. The chute 1 terminates injuxtaposi tion to a slide plate 3. This slide plate 3 has side flanges 4whereby it is slidably mounted on rods 5 fixed in lugs 6 on a U-shapedmember 7 mounted on a coin slide 9. The slide plate 3 is adapted to bemoved so that its slot lit can be brought into register with the coinreceiving chute 1 to convey one coin only to the slot 11 in the U-shapedmember 7 through which the coin can drop onto the coin slide 9. Theconstruction of these parts is such, that thus only one coin can pass onto the coin slide 9 when the number of coins in the magazine exceeds adetermined number during operation of the machine. That is, the slide 3will separate coins which become stuck together and will allow only onecoin to pass down the slide 9.

Two recording meters 13, 14 are mounted on a bracket 15, one above theother, adjacent the lower end of the coin slide 9.

The lower meter 13 is an aggregate meter. Its operatin; shaft 13a has acrank 16 thereon and a rod 17,

pivoted by one end to the crank 16, has a pin projecting through theother end, the two parts of the pin being marked 18 and 18arespectively. The part 18 projects into a slot H in one limb of abell-crank 20 fulcrumed in a bracket in the machine. The other limb ofthe bell crank 26 is connected by a link 21 to a lever 22 fulcrumed onthe U-shaped member 7. There is a slot 23 in the Work end of the lever22 and a journal pin 24 fixed on the slide plate 3, projects into theslot 23.

The aggregate meter 13 is actuated on each operation of the handle 26 ofthe machine by a bell crank 25 which is fulcrumed on a bracket 15a whichis an extension of the bracket 15'. One limb 25a of the bell crank 25 isengaged by a pin 26a on the handle 26 and is actuated thereby, while theother limb 25b thereof engages one limb 28 of a bell crank fulcrumed onthe bracket 15. The other limb 29 of this bell crank is connected to therod 17. By this arrangement, the aggregate meter 13 is actuated everytime the handle of the machine is actuated and the actuation of thehandle is of course, controlled by the deposit of a coin in the machine.The same movement actuates, through the linkage and components li -2dthe slide plate 3, to deposit a coin in the coin slide 9 in the eventthat there is a coin or coins in the chute it.

The meter -14, which is the profit meter, has a crank 30 on its shaft14a, and an arm 31 pivoted by one end to the crank Tali, has its otherend in engagement with a cam wheel 32 on a shaft 33 which projectsacross and beneath the coin slide 9. A collar 34- on the shaft 33 has atrip pin 35 fixed thereon and projecting through a slot indicated at35c, FIGURE 2, in the door of the coin slide 9. A counterbalance weight36 fixed on the collar 34, holds the trip pin 35 normally in the trackof a coin sliding down the coin slide 9, the weight of the parts beingsuch that a coin moving down the slide 9, can move the trip pin 35 andcontinue its passage to a profit receptacle (not shown). The angle ofthe coin slide 9 is such that the coin can attain sufficient velocity toactuate the trip pin 35. The arm 31 has on the end of the part engagedby the cam 32, a hook 38 which by operation of the cam 32., is broughtinto engagement with the pin 18a, whereby the profit meter 14 isactuated by the mechanism actuating the aggregate meter 13. Theoperating sequence is that when a coin inserted in the machine is inexcess of the basic number of coins in the coin. magazine, it istransferred to the chute l and is deposited on the coin slide 9 by theslide plate 3 during that operation of the operating handle 26. Thiscoin trips the pin 35 and rotates the cam 32, which in turn brings thehook 38 into engagement with the pin 18.2. After the coin has passed thelever 35, the lever 35 and cam 32 are returned by counterbalance 36 totheir normal position, and the arm 31 remains raised. The profit meter'14 is actuated upon the next actuation of the operating handle 26, andthe arm 31 thereupon falls down into engagement with the cam 32, andremains down until another coin passes down the coin slide 9 and tripsthe lever 35.

We claim:

1. Coin counting mechanism for use in machines of the type described,said machines including an operating handle, a profit coin transfermechanism and a profit coin receptacle, said coin counting mechanismcomprising aggregate coin counting means, a linkage connecting saidaggregate coin counting means to said operating handle and adapted to beactuated thereby for counting every coin inserted in the coin slot ofthe machine, profit coin counting means and control means to operativelyconnect the profit counting means to the operating handle through thelinkage which actuates the aggregate coin counting means, said controlmeans being adapted to be actuated by coins moved by the profit cointransfer mechanism to be deposited in the profit coin receptacle.

2. Coin counting mechanism for use in machines of the type described,said machines including an operating handle, a coin magazine, and aprofit coin transfer mechanism, said coin counting mechanism comprisinga coin slide located to receive the overflow of coins from said coinmagazine by the operation of said profit coin transfer mechanism, anaggregate coin counting meter mounted adjacent the lower end of the coinslide, actuating linkage connecting said aggregate meter to theoperating handle of the machine, a profit counting meter mountedadjacent the aggregate meter, an actuating shaft connected to saidprofit counting meter, a crank on said actuating shaft, an arm pivotedat one end to said crank, means at the other end of said arm capable ofengaging said actuating linkage of the aggregate meter, a trip pinlocated in a slot in the coin slide and adapted to be actuated by a coinpassing down said slide, a shaft fixed tothe trip pin and a cam on saidshaft to cam said means at the other end of said arm into operativeengagement with said actuating linkage.

3. Coin counting mechanism according to claim 2 including a coinreceiving chute interposed between the profit coin transfer mechanismand the coin slide, a slide plate mounted on a member below the outletof said chute said member having a coin delivery slot over the coinslide and offset from the outlet of said chute, said slide plate havinga coin delivery slot therein, a linkage connecting said slide plate tothe aggregate meter actuating linkage adapted to move said slide platefrom its slots registering position with the chute to register with theslot in the member and back again each time the aggregate meter isactuated.

4. Coin counting mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the actuatinglinkage connecting the aggregate meter to the operating handle of themachine comprises an actuating shaft for the aggregate meter, a crank onsaid shaft, a rod pivoted by one end of said crank and by the other endto one limb of a bell crank, a second bell crank having one limb inactuating engagement with said first bell crank and the other limb inactuating engagement with the conventional selector arm of the machine.

5. Coin counting mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the rod pivotedto the crank on the aggregate meter shaft has a pin mounted in a slot inone limb of a bell crank, the other limb of said bell crank beingconnected by a link in turn connected by one end to a lever, said leverhaving a slot in the work end thereof and a pin fixed on the slide platemounted in said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,877,989 Schwartz Sept. 20, 1932 1,933,082 Wallick Oct. 31, 19331,986,771 Giles Jan. 1, 1935 2,618,280 York Nov. 18, 1952 2,812,182Fiorino Nov. 5, 1957

1. COIN COUNTING MECHANISM FOR USE IN MACHINES OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED,SAID MACHINES INCLUDING AN OPERATING HANDLE, A PROFIT COIN TRANSFERMECHANISM AND A PROFIT COIN RECEPTACLE, SAID COIN COUNTING MECHANISMCOMPRISING AGGREGATE COIN COUNTING MEANS, A LINKAGE CONNECTING SAIDAGGRAGATE COIN COUNTING MEANS TO SAID OPERATING HANDLE AND ADAPTED TO BEACTUATED THEREBY FOR COUNTING EVERY COIN INSERTED IN THE COIN SLOT OFTHE MACHINE, PROFIT COIN COUNTING MEANS AND CONTROL MEANS TO OPERATIVELYCONNECT THE PROFIT COUNTING MEANS TO THE OPERATING HANDLE THROUGH THELINKAGE WHICH ACTUATES THE AGGREGATE COIN COUNTING MEANS, SAID CONTROLMEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY COINS MOVED BY THE PROFIT COINTRANSFER MECHANISM TO BE DEPOSITED IN THE PROFIT COIN RECEPTACLE.